Jeff Giard, right, holds up a rainbow flag in support of same-sex marriage on the corner of Third and E streets as traffic flows through Marysville, Calif. after a federal appeals court declared California's same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Appeal-Democrat, Nate Chute)

HAWTHORNE, Barry Levy: In a 2-1 decision, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the will of the people that voted on Proposition 8 (marriage to be defined as one man and one woman).

I’m not going to take a position the merits of this case but want to challenge everyone to question whether a 2-1 or a Supreme Court 5-4 decision is something that we should be happy with.

To think that laws are so complex that a simple majority of mere humans can determine the way the rest of the people must act or behave is something that needs to be questioned. Because a simple majority, with a simple challenge by one person, can have a law come before a court again to be changed.

Personally, I would like to see a minimum of five judges to hear an appeal and a super majority to change the will of the people. With five judges, the decision would have to be 4-1, and should something go to the Supreme Court, the super majority would mean decisions would have to be at least 6-3.

That might get some of the partisan complaints out of the way, and restore some sanity to the judicial system which is supposed to be non-partisan, but which of late has been anything but.

______

PLACENTIA, Bob Franz: It is really no surprise that the liberally-oriented 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled as it did on Proposition 8. But how it arrived at its ruling is troubling to say the least. It really started with California’s ruling on May 10, 2008 that same-sex marriage is a fundamental right. Of course we know that it isn’t, and therefore neither is marriage between a man and a woman.

But by incorrectly defining the basic premise of the argument as a right, though without support in law, the courts not only have misapplied the law, but they have opened the door to the inclusion of any number of look-alike rights, as in what the 9th Circuit just did. How long are we going to let the courts get away with misinterpretations of the law like this? We certainly will get no support from uber-Liberal President Barack Obama.

______

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Barry Wasserman: As has been the case in the past with generational rulings, the 9th District Court of Appeals has struck down Proposition 8. The question is why does a large percentage of the public object to gay marriage? Of course the reason given is that a marriage is defined as the uniting of a man and a woman with the intent of having children and raising them in an environment of love and nurturing. Being brought up in the 1950s, the concept of gay marriage or the marriage between a black man and a white woman or vice versa would not even reach the point of sanity. It was have been unheard of until famed drummer Louie Bellson and stage singer and performer Pearl Bailey tied the knot in 1952, shocking the nation, yet their marriage endured for 38 years until Bailey’s death.

Anti-miscegenation was a law that allowed people of different races found to be having sexual relations to be arrested. Heavy punishment could legally be inflicted on them. The movie and play “Showboat” delves into that matter. According to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT), gay people have the same rights as straight people in adopting children as long as they meet the requirements in California. Then the question remains, why are they denied the same rights as straight people to marry? The reason given is because of bias of many people, religious or not. They feel a sacred right to the institution of marriage and deny one of the last bastions of moral civility from those they consider unholy. Most of the denominations across the country would not perform a union of same-sex people. The democracy we hold so dearly today was born out of ancient Greece, which had no restrictions on homosexuality and considered it an accepted way of life.

The benefits to the economy would be enormous. The various purveyors of wedding dresses, hotels, catering, florists and chauffeuring would reap huge benefits from extensive numbers of people entering matrimony. Man has always wanted to be his brother’s keeper and instill in him the accepted way of thinking as was correct for that period in time. Times do change and the shackles of narrow mindedness have to end. The bottom line one should ask them is “how does this change affect you?” Unless you’re a died-in-the-wool homophobic, your life as you know it today will not impact you one iota.

Left care more about abortions than cancer

PLACENTIA, George Eazell: Well, with the Komen Foundation now caved to the liberal media attack machine, we now know what the most important thing in its life is, the right for women to kill their babies. I read comment after comment saying people will not donate another dime to Komen because of their pulling funding for Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood doesn’t even offer mammograms for cancer screening. Go to their website, it says they refer them to an outside source.

Wouldn’t it be a better use of those funds to give them to those outside sources to cut out the middle man? Not to the Planned Parenthood supporters, they viciously attacked anyone who claimed Komen made a righteous choice. I guess non-profits are not free to direct their funds where it choose best, according to the Left. At least this fiasco taught us some valuable information about who the left is in this country. They care more about abortions than they do about helping women with cancer or finding cures for cancer.

The right for a woman to choose to kill her child is the number one issue among the Left and they just showed us by how much. How come the little child growing in the mother doesn’t have any choice in the matter? Doesn’t it deserve rights too?

______

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Peter Foley: Interesting in Yvette Cabrera’s column [“Planned Parenthood fights breast cancer,” Feb. 7] on the subject that she would mention the actual number of breast exams conducted in OC during 2011 by Planned Parenthood but only refer to the number of abortions by a percentage to the total services (which of course looks rather small) as opposed to the actual number of abortions performed by Planned Parenthood during the same period?

I sincerely doubt that she is unaware of the total number but if she is perhaps someone could inform her of the actual number.

______

IRVINE, John F. Becka: I’m sure you will receive a number of letters regarding Yvette Cabrera’s latest column [“Planned Parenthood fights breast cancer,” Feb. 7], but quite frankly, we are all growing weary of her continuing lame attempts to justify illegal immigration or the murder of millions of innocent babies. Her do-gooder columns on most subjects defy logic, morality, legality and common sense. We understand the Register’s desire to present opposing and/or unpopular viewpoints so as to appear objective so why not hire someone with some journalistic talent?

WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor: E-mail to letters@ocregister.com. Please provide your name, city and telephone number (telephone numbers will not be published). Letters of about 200 words or videos of 30-seconds each will be given preference. Letters will be edited for length, grammar and clarity.

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.